


the blood left a stain on his soul

by MigrantMayhem



Series: healing takes time, like seeds growing to flowers [4]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Concussions, DIY Healthcare, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Serious Injuries, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:15:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29437389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MigrantMayhem/pseuds/MigrantMayhem
Summary: Sebastian was trying to mind his own business when the farmer crawled out of the mines, barely standing. He panics.
Relationships: Maru & Sebastian (Stardew Valley), Robin & Player (Stardew Valley), Robin & Sebastian (Stardew Valley), Sam & Female Player (Stardew Valley), Sebastian & Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: healing takes time, like seeds growing to flowers [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2154150
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	the blood left a stain on his soul

**Author's Note:**

> spring 16, year 1

Sebastian was just trying to mind his own business. He really was. He was standing at the lake, smoking a cigarette, head lost in all the code he had tried desperately to leave downstairs, but he saw her out of the corner of her eye. A flash of teal against the dark rock face, he looked over to see her almost stumble off of the creaky half-assed bridge between the recently-cleared mine and his side of the shore.

She limped onto solid ground again, her clothes covered in grime and bloody handprints smeared on the pale denim of her overalls.

“Oh for fuck’s sake--” Sebastian muttered to himself, tossing his cigarette into the water and running over to catch Willow before she fucking collapsed.

She stumbled into his arms, and she was  _ heavy as hell _ . Her backpack was full of stone and other minerals she found in the mines, and he growled as he tried to strip her of it’s straps.

“Hey, those are mine--” She spoke almost with a slur, exhaustion evident.

“Yep, and we’re putting them down for now, Seed, look at you--” He breathed, eyes scanning over her face. Her features were covered in blood and dust-- The top of her hair was messy and sticking up at odd angles, and he could see a cut along the shaved side, right above her ear. It stained her hair, trickling past her well-pierced cartilage and down her neck. Her nose was bleeding, and her lips was split in at least two places. 

“Look, I’m fine, Seb--” She spoke, wobbling as she tried to stand straight. He cursed, eyes examining the rest of her form-- cuts and bruises everywhere, even a few chemical burns from the slimes, he assumed. There was a particularly nasty wound in her side by her ribs, blood blooming through the denim.

“Nope, come on,” He muttered, sweeping her arm over his shoulders, wrapping another around her back.

“Sebastian--” She complained, but limped along beside him. She hissed with every step, “I-I’m fine. I’ll just go home and--”

“You’ll go home and bleed out. Come on.”

Willow whined like a child being dragged away from playtime, but Sebastian’s heart raced. She looked really out of it-- how long had she been down there? How much time did they have left? If she was this bad, she’d need a blood transfusion, right? Fuck, and Harvey’s office was closed-- He didn’t know shit about medicine, he didn’t know what was going on with Willow, all he knew is that much blood should not be on the outside.

He nudged the front door to Robin’s house open with his foot and rushed inside, practically carrying the ragdoll of Willow. He pulled out the kitchen chair and sat Willow down, eyes trailing behind them at the blood that spotted the floor. Sebastian’s eyes found Demetrius’, who stopped whatever he was doing when Sebastian had walked it.

“Oh son of a--” Demetrius cursed, rushing to Willow’s side, “Maru! Come here, quickly!”

Sebastian’s breath caught in his throat, heartbeat in his ears as he ran to the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit from under the sink. He heard Maru’s feet rush across the house and into the kitchen. “Oh, crap!” She exclaimed. Robin peeked her head out from the bedroom as Sebastian closed the cabinet.

“What’s going on?” She asked, looked down the hall frantically.

“New fuckin’ farmer’s trying to get herself killed--” Sebastian muttered quickly, sprinting back to the kitchen. He opened the first aid kit on his second try, hands shaking like a leaf, and Maru quickly started grabbing things out of it.

“Hey, look, I’m okay--” Willow struggled to defend herself, but Maru just  _ tsk’d _ , pulling out tiny little machines-- he think one was a fancy version of a blood pressure cuff, and the other measured oxygen levels or something. He was so thankful Maru was in medicine. Sure, she was just a CNA now, but clearly working closely with Harvey was paying off. She moved through the steps effortlessly, and Willow’s hazy eyes floated between everyone, before finally landing on Sebastian. He felt the color drain from his face as he met her steely gray gaze.

“It’s a good thing you grabbed her when you did, Seb,” Maru spoke coolly, pulling her equipment off of Willow’s arm and finger, “She hasn’t lost a lot of blood yet, so if we find the open wound--”

“Here, it’s here on her side,” Sebastian said, fingers already falling to the buttons on the side of her overalls and undoing them. He undid the clasp at the top and heard her groan lightly, “You could at  _ least  _ buy me dinner first--”

“Hey, trying to save your life, here? Thanks,” He spat back, which made Willow laugh, before hissing. “You still ‘fine’?” He muttered, pulling her overalls to the side and shirt up to reveal the gash.

“Alright, alright,” She muttered through clenched teeth, letting her head roll back against the back of the chair, “Yeah, it kinda hurts.”

Sebastian recoiled from the sight of the wound, blood pouring over her torn skin, he was able to make out the color of her muscle between the rended flesh. He felt his stomach flip, and he scooted away from the wound, anxiety clawing his way up this throat at the fear he might vomit.

“Oh, thank Yoba, it’s not deep, and no ribs are broken. She’ll be good, she’ll be good.” Maru took over his place, cleaning the wound with alcohol swabs, making Willow hiss and writhe. “Someone, please hold her?” Maru asked, “I’m sorry, Willow, but I gotta make sure it’s clean.”

“What the hell happened?” Robin asked, moving to hold Willow’s shoulders in place.

“Shit, I-- I dunno--” Willow rasped, “Do you have to use so much stingy-juice?”

Sebastian joined his mother on her other side, glancing at Maru as she finished wiping away blood and reached up to apply a large cotton pad over the wound. “She was coming out of the mines-- you sure she isn’t losing too much blood?” Sebastian’s eyes drifted from Willow’s grimace back down to Maru’s hands.

“I’m certain, her vitals were close to normal. Her confusion must be caused by something else.”

Sebastian took two fingers and gingerly tipped Willow’s head to the side. She shot him a look and raised a brow at him, “I’m right here, you know?” He eyed that cut on the side of her head.

“You think she might have a concussion? She’s got a head injury.”

“Oh! Good eye, Seb. That would probably be it, but I’ll confirm that when I finish here.” Sebastian felt a soft smile cross his face at the praise, and Willow gave him a loopy grin.

“What?” He glared down at the woman. Her grin widened, “Wow, I didn’t expect you to get all worked up over me like this. You barely know me.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, muttering curses under his breath.

“Here, I’m gonna call Sam or Abby. Hopefully one of them will be awake enough to help me limp her home.”

Robin nodded, rubbing circles in Willow’s shoulders while Maru finished bandaging her side wound, moving on to her minor cuts and scrapes. Demetrius had gotten some chemical in his lab that treated slime wounds, and Sebastian stepped around the corner, pulling out his phone. It took until the last ring for the phone to pick up.

“Hey, what’s up bro?” Sam answered in a whisper.

“Good, you’re still awake. Got a… small problem. Can I borrow you for, say, twenty minutes?”

“Huh? What’s up?”

Sebastian sighed. He needed another fucking cigarette, already. “Guess who caught-- literally-- Farmer Willow stumbling out of the mines, half dead?”

“Oh shit-- is she okay?” Sam yelled, before he caught himself. Sebastian heard a soft, “Sorry, mom!” away from the receiver.

“Maru says so, but she’d better see Harvey tomorrow to make sure Maru knows what she’s doing…” Seb breathed, “A few cuts here and there, she had a bad wound on her side that Maru said was going to be fine, and then what is probably a concussion…”

“Damn, she took a beating in there, huh?”

“I don’t know what the hell she was thinking, honestly. You think you can help me get her back to her place? It’s kind of a ways, and I don’t need her collapsing on me.”

“Yeah, shit, no problem. I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

“Cool, thanks, man. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”

“See you soon.”

“See you.”

He hung up the phone, one hand reaching into his pocket and fidgeting with the lid of the carton of cigarettes in his pocket. He thought better of it, however, stepping back into the house and into the kitchen.

“Did you get ahold of anyone?” Robin asked.

“Yeah, Sam’s on his way…” Sebastian muttered, “You really know how to make an impression, Willow, I’ll give you that.”

She grinned, laughing, before groaning. “It hurts to laugh.”

“Gee, I wonder fucking why?” He spat under his breath. Robin gave him a disapproving look, for ‘such language,’ he already knew, but Willow just rolled her eyes.

“She does have a concussion, you were right on the money, Seb. Her slime injuries should heal up pretty fast, and the rest of her injuries are inconsequential. Those ribs might prove to be a problem, though.” Maru washed her hands in the kitchen sink before cleaning the scissors and other supplies she had used. “I’ll tell Harvey about it tomorrow, so she can make an appointment.”

“Thanks, Maru.”

“No, thank you. I don’t want to exaggerate, but you might have just saved her life.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Willow spoke for herself. “Yeah, thanks, Seb. Thanks… thank you guys. You didn’t have to do this.”

“And let you bleed out in the grass? We’re not animals. You’re welcome inside anytime,” Demetrius crossed his arms, leaning against the counter.

Willow shifted anxiously in her seat, glancing around, “Still. I owe you guys.”

The front door opened, to reveal a disheveled Sam. He was still wearing pajama pants. “Is she okay?” He asked, approaching the kitchen table.

“I’m good enough, thanks to these guys’ quick thinking,” Willow answered, tilting her head over her shoulder to look at Sam.

“Can she walk?” Sebastian asked Maru.

“Not sure. With both of you guys, I think you’ll be fine, though. The bandages shouldn’t move around too much.”

He nodded. “Okay. Here, Willow, let’s get you home.” He helped pull her to her feet and she cried out. Sam quickly flanked her other side and helped hold her upright. Sebastian glanced back at Maru, who studied Willow with panic.

“Gah, you  _ had  _ to sit me down…” She grumbled through gritted teeth, “Now all the adrenaline’s gone, fuck.”

“Then we’d better get you home fast so you can get rest, right?” Sam offered. Willow nodded, “Yeah, not a bad idea.”

The three of them started to make their way to Saltspray farm.

“Here, go up these stairs, here,” Willow directed them up behind Sebastian’s house, “It’s a shortcut.”

Sebastian glanced at Willow and then Sam, who nodded. “Alright. Watch your step.”

The steps proved to be a bit of a challenge, Willow’s breath catching on every step up, curses leaving her lips on every ragged exhale. Sebastian couldn’t help sparing her worried looks at her face, measuring her pain, but she kept meeting his gaze and nodding every time he paused. Soon they were up the stairs walking back on even ground, and Willow’s breathing evened out-- just a little bit.

“You’re in a lot of pain, Willow,” Seb chastised, “Why the hell were you trying to tell me you were fine?”

Willow swallowed, eyes staying on the dirt at her wobbly feet, “I… I dunno. I-- I didn’t think it was that bad? I was embarrassed? I… I don’t know.”

“How do you  _ not  _ know?” He couldn’t help but ask, outrage barely hidden in his voice.

“I just  _ don’t _ , okay? It sounded like a good idea at the time, is that what you wanna hear?” She hissed. Sam looked up to Sebastian, shooting him a warning look.

“You’re okay, Willow,” Sam comforted, “We got you taken care of, that’s what matters.”

“Yeah,” She mumbled miserably. “Sure.”

Sebastian sighed, frustration bubbling up. It was like when Sam skinned his knee to hell and back and just got up and went inside to get a snack. Why did he do that? “I don’t know.” Sometimes it drove him up the wall.

They got to another set of stairs down, and Willow took her time walking down those. Sebastian looked around and realized they must have been on Saltspray. He’d never been this far down the path, and had never been on the old property. It was pretty-- the cove sounded like the ocean, and the stars reflected off of the water’s surface. The farm was still overgrown, trees sprouting from the sandy soil and bushes threatening to invade the little bit of cleared land. Willow had her raised garden around the corner of the cabin’s porch, a little stone wall built up around it like she had told him she was going to. There was an old sedan parked beside the shipping bin, tan with the exception of a baby-blue door and a rust-red hood. The property was pretty, it was quaint. Peaceful.

Sam and him practically carried her up the steep steps of the cabin, and he understood why her grandfather had moved out when he started getting ill. Sebastian went to open the door and found it locked-- which was odd, he didn’t think anyone in Stardew Valley locked their doors.

Willow reached a hand into the pocket of her overalls and removed the bloody keys. She hissed, wiping it off on her already stained overalls and put it into the lock. It felt like a century until she unlocked it.

“Why do you lock your door?” Sam asked the question on Sebastian’s mind.

“What, you don’t?” She glanced over her shoulder.

Sam looked to Sebastian. He shook his head. “None of us do.”

Willow stared at Sebastian for a moment, before looking to Sam for confirmation. Sam shrugged, nodding.

“I… I guess it’s a city habit, then.” She pulled the keys out of the lock and pushed the door open, “If you didn’t, you’d get robbed, shot, killed, worse.”

“What’s worse than getting killed?” Sam asked and Seb hissed.

Willow laughed before cursing again, “Ow, oh Sam. Depends on the robber. One of my old friends told me the person two floors down from her was snatched by an organ harvester. So, you know.”

“ _ What _ ?” Sam coughed, eyes wide, “I-- I thought that kind of stuff-- that happens in  _ real life _ \--?”

“Well, I dunno, I wasn’t there,” She groaned as she eased herself into bed. He and Sam stood within reach. “Also.. she was a pathological liar. Still, I keep my doors locked.”

Sam couldn’t shake the stupefied look off of his face, and Sebastian chuckled. Suddenly, something occurred to him.

“You came from Starlight City, didn’t you?” He asked. 

She looked up to him. “Did Abby mention that to you?” She asked, a dangerous look in her eye.

“No, Mom did. It’s… it’s a warzone up there, isn’t it?”

She nodded slowly. “That’s why I didn’t really… you know. I was still walking. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Sebastian could only nod solemnly. “You’re not there, anymore. You’d better get up and get checked out by Harvey tomorrow or I’m gonna send Abby in here to kick your ass out of bed.”

He could see Sam in his periphery, about to smack him for being mean again or some shit. Willow held his stare before her face curled into a wide grin. “Alright,” She nodded, “I’ll be there. Thanks, guys. It… It really means a lot.”

Sebastian blinked at the sudden shift in her demeanor, before he nodded, keeping his cool. He nodded to Sam, and the two of them left the tiny cottage. “See you later, Willow,” Sam called, “Feel better!”

“I’ll do my best,” She called from her bed, “Be safe.”

“ _ We  _ will,” Sebastian chuckled as he shut the door behind them.

“So, what was that?” Sam asked as they stepped off the porch.

“What was what?”

“Why are you so mean to her?”

Sebastian looked oddly at Sam, “What the hell was mean about that? She was  _ bleeding to death _ .”

“Yeah, so you swoop in and chastise her like you’re, what? Mrs. McHenry from our ninth grade english class?”

“That is  _ not  _ the same-- I wasn’t--”

“She’s a grown woman! She can take care of herself!”

“Well I don’t know if I’d go that far--”

Sam punched him in the shoulder, lightly, but sharp enough to make a point. “You don’t get to make that decision, Seb. You certainly don’t get to order her to go to the  _ doctor _ or anything!”

“What about you?” Sebastian turned, “Did you ask her how  _ she  _ felt about it? How she feels about you running to her defense? Because you’re right--  _ I  _ don’t get to make that decision, but neither do you.”

Sam set his jaw, and Sebastian could practically hear his teeth grinding. “Why,” He paused, taking a deep breath, and Sebastian felt his mouth go dry. “Why do you always fuck this part up? Me and Abby really like Willow. We both really like you. We’d really like it if you both got along, but you make it fucking difficult, sometimes.”

Seb clenched his jaw, burying his hands in his pockets.

“I-- I  _ know _ , it’s hard for you. I get it, you’re not a people person. But it is a  _ skill _ . You have to  _ practice  _ that skill to get any good at it. And if you’re a  _ prick  _ to everyone you meet, you’re going to ensure that you never get the opportunity to practice ever again.”

“Fuck off, Sam,” He breathed, looking away.

“I--” Sam sighed, rubbing his temples, “I’m sorry, man. I just-- I thought--”

“You  _ thought _ ,” Sebastian growled, “Maybe that was the problem.”

Sam stopped, instead of turning down the street to his house. Sebastian kept walking. “Seb,” He sighed, “ _ Wait _ .”

“Leave me alone, Sam,” He warned.

The silence was deafening. Sebastian raced up the hill and into the mountains. He swallowed past a lump in his throat, and his fingers played with the lid of his carton again. He took a sharp turn passed his front door and moved to the lake. Willow’s pack still sat, bloodied but untouched.

Sebastian pulled a cigarette out and lit it, puffing on it, and holding it between his teeth as he pulled the backpack up.  _ Fuck _ , it weighed a ton. Sebastian stood until he finished his cigarette, snuffing it out in the grass. He went back inside.

“ _ There _ you are,” Robin breathed as he walked in, “I was starting to worry. Did she make it home okay? What’s that?”

Sebastian chewed the inside of his cheek, “Yeah, she made it home fine, mom. This is her pack, I’m gonna hang onto it until I can drop it off tomorrow.”

“Oh, sure thing. Get some rest, honey. You did good work, today.”

“Yeah,” He muttered, immediately turning and going down the steps. He all but slammed the door behind him.

Alone in his room, he dropped the backpack to the ground, listening to it hit with a heavy, satisfying  _ BAM _ . Anger still boiled, barely under the surface. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and, without even looking, he threw it against the couch. Why the hell did he even bother? He does one nice thing and Sam’s getting on his ass for ‘undermining her autonomy’-- her  _ autonomy _ would have killed her! Right? The longer he played it over in his brain the more he doubted himself. Maru seemed to think it wasn’t too bad, but she was bleeding like a siv! Is that just how much people bleed? He sank into his bed, head in hands. He was wrong, wasn’t he? He was always wrong. Willow probably hated him now, since he was such a prick-- and Sam and Abby would be friends with her, and he’d be left all alone in this basement. Fuck, he needed to get out, he needed to leave this fucking town. He felt his breathing catch in his throat and he tried really hard to not let it overwhelm him. He forced himself to stand up, go to the couch, pick up his phone. He was going to text Sam back and apologize. But what the hell was the point? The damage was already done, wasn’t it? He glanced at his screen, and saw an unfamiliar number come up.

“hey seb! it’s willow. I got this number from sam...”

He opened the message.

“hey seb! it’s willow. I got this number from sam, so don’t freak out lmao, im not stalking u or anything.”

“I wanted to thank you again. like, idk. I know i can be super reckless and shit, and i really didnt think anyone was gonna care. im still kinda surprised you did tbh. u were right about how im not in the city anymore. its just weird to hear someone say it out loud.”

“I left my door unlocked tonight. partially because it hurt too much to get up lol, side injuries are a bitch. but i figured i should mention it, in case u or sam or abby get worried. if i get my organs harvested tonight im blaming u.”

“but uh, yeah. i guess im just trying to say that thank u for like, pulling my own head out of my ass. ill be more careful next time i end up in the mines.”

Sebastian read the messages, and then reread them. Relief rushed through him. He made the right decision. Willow didn’t hate him. Sam… was another story, but he quickly typed out an apology to him, he moved through the motions that they had moved through since they were kids. He couldn’t remember when he fell asleep, but when he woke up the next morning he felt just a little better, just a little more sure of himself.


End file.
